Verona, Italy, home of the world-famous opera festival held every summer.

Beforehand, we ate at this little cafe.

During the performance, we sat on ancient stone seats under the stars in the old Roman amphitheatre...they're really uncomfortable unless you bring your own pillow or buy seats with one.

After the performance, we ate pasta and drank wine at a cafe in the large square at 12:30am. We watched the crew dismantle the Aida set, place it out on the square and take in the next set of another opera for the following night. In told, there are 4 operas every summer, and all the huge sets are stored out in the open on the square.

We watched Aida that night. By Verdi. It is a tragic love affair. At the end, she and her lover are entombed forever while the priests sing.

During the performance, the huge full moon rose slowly over the actors. It was mesmerising to see live opera like this.